manual tranny

[a-haig]

if my eagle is not warmed up second gear likes to grind, be hard to get into, and it used to not go in to second at all, it would just grind real hard.

as well as my automatic eagle not wanting to pick up to well its just real pokey until it gets up to speed and still doesnt do much better, and I know its the tranny and not the motor, I would just like a little help understanding, as well as fixes.

[IowaEagle]

Synchros sound shot.

[a-haig]

thats what I thought, but once it warms up it shifts with no trouble at all. if it is the synchronizer then Im atleast lucky its only the going from 1st to 2nd.

[T5258]

viscosity of the fluid could be the culprit....have you ever changed the trans fluid???

[Smitch]

Is your automatic Eagle going into second and third gears too soon? That would make it pokey. If so, it could be the throttle kick-down linkage.

[bigdog56e]

  On the manual, could have the wrong fluid in it, is it four or five speed?
                                                                  Eddie

[a-haig]

my manual is a five speed I figured it would just be regular 80-90 and thats what I put in it but it did it before and after the change, it started getting better before I changed it and kept getting better after.  but now its not getting better or worse, only when its cold does it grind a little.

[a-haig]

I actually havent bought the auto yet but Im getting wednesday, and ive only driven it once. I just wanted to get some input on what to look for and how to fix it. Im no genious when it comes to trtansmissions or attempting to set a carb those are not my area, but I am doing my best to learn.

its an sx4. in the 5 years Ive wanted an eagle Ive never seen one in person, so when I saw it I had to buy it.

[Smitch]

One thing to check would be the clutch pedal travel distance. If there's something preventing it from going the full distance.....you know like a floor mat or a bunched up carpet. Probably not but it's an easy check! 

[IowaEagle]

What to look for in an auto:  Leaks from the "inspection plate" area, and elsewhere and make sure it has a working trans throttle rod.  Of course test drive it to see how it shifts.  If the car has been sitting for a while it may take a few seconds after putting it in gear for everything get up to pressure and move.

[T5258]

80/90 is not correct for the T-5....I've done some research on this & found that AMC had their own fluid...part number 8983000000....when I called the Jeep dealer I deal with, the number does change to a Mopar fluid (I forget the #) and auto zone does sell an equivalent fluid....Castrol synchromesh I think; it's a 70/80 weight from what I've read on other Jeep forums...If you call your friendly Mopar dealer with the AMC number, they should be able to cross it to the new number....

[a-haig]

 I know my auto does leak and I assumed this was the problem, but I really need input because I know where and how to fix it, but, I was told when filled it does the same thing.

[a-haig]

on my manual, I went to autozone and their system told me it took a special fluid, but it said the equivilent part was 80-90. I thought something was wrong, because when I drained it I got wierded out, the fluid already in it looked like regular transmission fluid.

[T5258]

The 82 TSM specifies dexron/mercon in the 5-speed, but by 84, AMC had changed that to the special fluid I mentioned in an earlier post.  Evidently, there was a durabillity issue w/using Dexron, which is why they recommended the 8983 000 000 fluid.  When I had my old SX/4 (5-speed), I used Dexron, not knowing (at the time) about the newer fluid & never had a problem.  Having said that, I will DEFINITELY use either the new Mopar fluid, or the Castrol equivalent when I (someday) change the transmission oil in my wagon.  If you're bored, just type in the old AMC part number either on Yahoo or google & I think you'll find the same heated discussions on this subject that I did on some Jeep forums....some are pretty entertaining to read.....

[T5258]

something else I found......from a Jeep forum.......



The problem with T-5 is very complex. From what I have read, the T-5 is rated to 265 ft-lb torque, the AX-15 is rated to 285 ft-lb, and the NV3550 is rated (conservatively) at 300 ft-lb. So, if it is nearly as strong as the AX-15, why does it have such a bad reputation?

I hit the website for http://www.5speeds.com/ talk about a shop that knows their T-5s...the guy was very very knowledgeable! He indicated the largest problems (that gave T-5s a bad rap) dealt with a recalled third gear (went from 29 spline to 27 spline). That upgrade is supposed to help beef the thing up a good deal. Other problems deal with incorrect or improper fluid levels. These non-world class transmissions operate without needle bearings (instead having deep oil grooves). As such, they should only run gear oil.

I have done a decent bit of research on the "correct" fluid to use. A good friend is the Parts Manager at a local Jeep store and works with many mechanics who worked on these, I have looked over Factory Service Manuals from 1982, 1983, and 1984-1986, searched the Factory Recalls, and Tech Bulletins...

When they first came out, AMC recommended using ATF (1982 FSM). However, there was a recall for this in 1982 (Recall Number: 82V125000) indicating that the “ORIGINAL PRODUCTION TRANSMISSION LUBRICANT USED IN THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE LUBRICATION TO PROTECT THE TRANSMISSIONS FIRST GEAR.” FSM supplement for 1982 (Tech Bulletin) and the 1983 FSM both indicate to use 90wt in the T-5. By 1984, AMC started using a proprietary manual transmission lubricant. This was affectionately referred to as "fish oil" by the mechanics or AMC manual transmission fluid (Part Number 8983 000 000). This fluid was discontinued by AMC and currently, Chrysler is recommending the use of GL3 gear oil.

From my limited understanding, GL3 is very different from GL4 or GL5. I emailed Valvoline regarding this (as I haven't seen GL3 or GL4 in a very long time). They indicated that the issue is with the type of sulfate used in the lube. Apparently activated sulfate (used in some GL5 lubes) can eat brass synchros. Valvoline indicated: "The Valvoline High Performance Gear Oil 80-w90 can be used for both GL4 and GL5. The real concern is the type of sulfate used in the gear oil. You can not use an active sulfate for GL-4 applications. Valvoline uses an inactive sulfate that will not harm any yellow metal such as bronze. This allows our products to be used in manual transmissions that have bronze synchronizers."

All of this being said, there is an issue with shifting in colder climates. Apparently, the gear lube is almost too thick to allow smooth shifting on cold days, until the lube warms up a little. Many have reported good luck with synthetics, some have cut the gear lube with a little ATF, and some have reported good luck running 20w50 motor oil. I am not sure what the overall best solution is, but the only “Factory” recommended solution is to run 80-90…

I hope this was not too confusing, I have researched it a lot and written a similar dissertation in a lot of other forums. This is a little more concise...
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